


Command

by ghostwriter00797



Series: The Secret Keeper [2]
Category: Transformers: Rescue Bots
Genre: 5+1 Things, Cody Burns the counselor, Gen, Secret Keeper AU, i hope i did it justice, something that totally should have been addressed in canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 23:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14272191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostwriter00797/pseuds/ghostwriter00797
Summary: Cody Burns is always in the background, unseen and unheard. This comes in handy more times than you would think.or5 times Cody's "commands" weren't noticed by others and the 1 time they were.





	Command

**Author's Note:**

> One thing that always bugged me about the Rescue Bots series is that at the beginning the town was told that the bots only answered to the commands of their assigned partner, yet nobody seems to question that Cody can also 'command' the bots when push comes to shove. IDK, maybe it's just me.

**1**

The first time it happens, nobody notices. Cody Burns has always been good at fading into the background and he knows it. 

“Robots, return!”

He doesn’t know how his Dad doesn’t seem to hear him--he’s not exactly being quiet--but he supposes that Dani and Kade’s arguing must be reaching the fever pitch. The bots do though, and he can tell by the slight ease in tension that they’re glad for the excuse to get away from Huxley’s cameras.

“UGH! Fine. Do whatever.”

And Dani storms past him, fury exuding from every part of her. She is quickly followed by Graham, while his Dad goes after an equally upset Kade. He pities poor Blades. Heatwave isn’t above a few ‘glitches’ to scare some sense into the fireman, but the timid bot doesn’t dare to do anything against Dani when she’s angry--mostly for fear of causing her harm. Cody knows though. He’ll be doing damage control on this one for the next week.

* * *

 

**2**

He tries not to call out to them in public. He knows that they’re not supposed to be ‘programmed’ to respond to him. To keep up the charade they must follow that rule. That doesn’t stop them from being overprotective.

“Firebot,  _ put him down _ !”

Kade’s voice is equal parts angry and terrified. Mostly because Heatwave isn’t listening to him. The only thing that keeps Cody from laughing is the sore ribs. The debris from the explosion had hit him harder than he thought.

“Kade, I’m alright. Go help the others.”

He sounds worse than he feels, and that doesn’t seem to help the situation. Heatwave continues to talk to him in what he assumes is cybertronian, soft and low. Warm metal hands hold him close, trying to protect him as scanners run test after test. Tuning out his brother’s sudden bout of colorful language, Cody lowers his own voice.

“Heatwave, I’m alright. You need to go help out before someone gets even more suspicious.”

The look he gets tells him that this particular conversation will be greatly expanded upon in the bunker later on, but for now Heatwave surrenders. 

“You can put me down now.”

A little bit of steel in his voice does wonders when coupled with Kade’s verbal assault. He’s proud when he doesn’t waver, feet steady as he steps from lowered hands onto the ground. He ignores the sting of sadness when he fades again, Kade’s attention once again on the task at hand. He’s used to it.

* * *

 

**3**

It’s not necessarily the public that Cody worries about. He knows that they don’t notice him. He vanishes from memories almost as quickly as he came into them, and that includes when the bots are seen following his orders. Not that they’re required to or need to. He’ll admit, the firebot has gotten better at acting soulless, but he isn’t convincing. Sometimes, though, he’s just as good as Chase is. 

“It hasn’t acted up in the last three weeks, so I think I’m pretty safe. Yours, on the other hand-”

“My copter is just fine. I haven’t had a problem in months.”

Two playful grins, eyes teetering on the edge of ready anger. The rivalry may have toned down, but Cody knows they’re lying through their teeth. Heatwave still loves to mess with Kade when the fireman gets a little too big for his britches, or annoys him, or generally exists in his vicinity. Blades is still terrified of heights. 

“Guys. We have a call. Lets  _ go. _ ”

If one good thing has come out of this mess, it’s that Graham has gotten better at standing up to his rowdier siblings. Kade lets out a long-suffering sigh, only to be met with a blank stare. He turns to Heatwave as Dani sprints up the stairs to where Blades rests.

“Firebot, transform and move out.”

Heatwave doesn’t budge. Kade glares into the bot’s optics, and the bot not so subtly glares back.

“I  _ said _ transform and move out!”

Cody can already see the steam rising, leftover irritation from his brother’s verbal spar turning into anger. And when Kade is angry, Heatwave listens even less. They don’t have time for this.

“Heatwave, transform please.”

He knows that Heatwave can hear him, no matter how quietly he says it. And with a huff, the bot folds down and reluctantly lets the fireman into his cab. Crisis averted. For now.

* * *

 

**4**

It’s not Boulder’s fault that Graham doesn’t explain his plans. His older brother, smart as he is, doesn’t always realize that people aren’t following his train of thought. He’s no better when talking to what he thinks is a mindless machine.

“Put that down! No, no, not there-”

He winces in sympathy as the big bot nearly trips over his own feet, barely keeping his hold on the sand bags. The wind shrieks, nearly toppling everyone as the waves crash against the shore. Cody shouldn’t be out here, but this is the bot’s first big storm on Earth. He doesn’t know how they deal with things like this, and through his coms he can hear Dani’s constant yelling. Blades does  _ not _ want to get up in the air.

“Hey! Careful! Dad, watch where you send the police bot. Kade, I need the firebot over there. Dani, where are you?”

And Graham goes off again, tablet shoved unthinkingly into Cody’s hands, brushing soaked hair out of his eyes as he runs off to check someone’s work. What he’s trying to do makes a lot more sense when Cody looks at the plans, and Boulder, having stayed frozen, shifts to look at him.

“Cody?”

“It’s alright Boulder. Here’s what he wants you to do…”

* * *

 

**5**

Dani has always been a risk-taker. Cody often witnesses her crazy aerial stunts in her free time, and he knows that Blades really would have been better off with another family member. It’s not that he thinks they couldn’t work together, but without the knowledge that Blades is sentient, she can’t understand the poor bot.

“Ugh! Higher, higher, higher! We’ll never make it to the scene on time if you don’t speed up!”

Blades shudders under her grip, engine whining at the thought. Cody can feel the nervous energy around him, hand automatically reaching for what he thinks is sort of the console. He rests it there, trying to project as much calm as he can. Dani, caught up in her own frustration, doesn’t notice his soft voice.

“It’s alright Blades. I know it’s scary, but I won’t let anything happen to you. We do need to go a bit higher if we want to help, can you do that?”

He rubs circles onto the dash in what he hopes is a comforting gesture. Another whine of his engine, lower this time, seems to be an affirmative, and Dani lets out a cheer as the controls loosen. They climb as far as Blades can handle before he locks up again, but Dani won’t complain. This is the highest she’s ever gotten the copter to go.

* * *

 

**+1**

Cody has never had to intervene with Chase and his dad. They work well together, a team through and through. He doesn’t know if it’s his dad’s experience or Chase’s rigid respect of rules and authority that helps, but it allows him more time to run damage control with the other three. He doesn’t have to ‘command’ his father’s partner, and he’s content with leaving them be until he can’t.

The fire is massive, encompassing three warehouses and on its way to one filled with experimental explosive materials. His father is in there, getting workers out and assessing what they need to move while Kade and Dani handle the fire. A spark catches Cody’s attention, and he watches in horror as the fourth lights up like a candle. The fire spreads quickly, the first canisters going under the pressure. Every plume of fire is a punch to the gut, his instinct propelling him forward. He doesn’t see Chase until the police bot grabs him.

“Cody Burns, that course of action is not advised.”

He can’t tell if his blurry vision is from smoke or tears, but he doesn’t care.

“Dad is still in there-”

He doesn’t even finish his sentence before the bot has him in his cab. He doesn’t even bother with subtlety, tearing parts of the wall off to get in. The fire roils around them, sweat breaking out as the temperature rises, and Cody can barely see through all of the smoke. Chase has no such issues, carefully picking his way through debris with quick efficient steps.

“There. Get ready Cody Burns. Your sire will need your immediate assistance.”

The cab opens, smoke flooding in for the few seconds it takes to get his father inside. He thanks whatever higher power is listening as he checks his dad’s pulse. He does what he’s been taught, keeping the airway open until Dani can take over. He doesn’t even realize that Chase is running, used to the stride of the bots after many night time excursions. He does, however, feel the impact of the explosion. It sends them flying, seatbelts tightening as Chase rolls with the blastwave. Everything shifts around them, and the police bot lands on his tires, skidding over to a stop in front of Dani. He pops the door, and Dani is on their dad before Cody can even explain.

“Cody, what happened?” 

“How did you-”

“-get him out?”

The babble of his siblings is almost soothing in a way, but he knows not to let them know that. He needs to fade, keep the attention off of the bots and on dad.

“Did- did you command the police bot?”

His stomach drops, Chase inching a bit closer.

“We’ll deal with that later. Dad needs to go to the hospital. Kade, Graham, stay here and keep working on the fire. Cody, stay with the police bot.”

And he does. All through the hours that it takes to get the fires out, quietly conversing with Chase while they wait for any news. When Kade, soot-streaked and exhausted, walks up, he tenses again.

“Dani just called. Dad’ll be fine.”

He’s blunt, to-the-point like always. Behind him, still in vehicle mode, Heatwave and Boulder almost visibly perk up at the news. Honestly, Cody still doesn’t know if he’s just gotten  _ that _ good at reading the bots, or if they’re really that expressive. He’s too tired to care.

“-can’t just leave it here.”

Kade and Graham don’t even notice when he pulls the door shut and quietly asks Chase to drive back to the firehouse. He’ll deal with the aftermath in the morning.

He does not deal with it in the morning. He wakes up at the hospital an hour later, surrounded by curious siblings and his father’s piercing stare.

“Well son, it looks like you have some explaining to do.”

He tells himself that his laughter isn’t slightly hysterical. He’s lying.

“...oops?”


End file.
